calling all photography buffs..i am seeking feedback!

[DavidNH]

I would love to take pictures...LOTS of pictures..that can visually describe the best of what I hope will be a fabulous AT north bound through hike starting next spring.

I would like advice on camera to have. I am thinking digital..as they dont use film and are smaller and lighter than film cameras. I now have a NIKON that weighs 2 pounds (ouch!) and an olympus stylus that weighs 1/2 pound without film.

I was at a RITZ photo this evening and saw a Pentax WP that is 5 mega pixel and is water proof to 5 feet. It takes these chips that (1 gig down to l 1/4 gig or so) and a small battery. the camera goes (5 mega pixel) goes for around 300 and the 1 gig chip is a good 100 dollars and I have no idea what the battery would cost.

so questions are:

1) would a digital camera like this one be more cost effective than a compact film camera? since it isnt using film or would it be less cost effective since you have to pay for this expensive 1 gig chip?

2) Would a camera like this work for the riggors of at thru hiking? I would want prints and if possible slides, though I dont know if digital cameras can produce slides.

3) what do you see as the downsides to this camera?

4) could the small size and weight of the camera lead to a shaky hold leading to blurred photos?

5) do you have any thoughts to share that I may have not thought of?

I just can't spend 5-6 months in the mountains without bringing wonderful pictures of the experience home with me. That would be an absolute sin!!!

DavidNH

[stag3]

Here is a good link for camera reviews:
http://www.acme.com/digicams/sd_review_links.html

I have a Canon SD 300- 4 mega pixels. I think 4 MP is more than enough and should not be the main criteria. My main criteria was light weight, mine is about 5 oz and fits in a shirt pocket. Battery life is always a problem. The Canon battery will last about a week, so you need a spare ($50). Some cameras use AAA or AA cells. This might be important if you are on the trail for a long time without access to electric power for recharging the batteries.

If you're concerned with water, Olympus makes a nice camera that is rain proof.

I found the best price from an online NY camera shop.

Good luck, there are lots of choices. Probably everyone will give you different advise.

[MedicineMan]

i've got the previous model 43WR i think it is--only 4 megapixels and these cameras are very nice...
on your thru-hike do yourself a big favor and get several large SD cards because these cameras actually do decent video.....when you get to trail towns upload to a service like webshots or any of the many others and burn to a CD and mail the CD home....always duplicating the files for safety.
I carry a PDA on the trail that also takes SD cards and on many trips have uploaded to the PDA for a second copy database.
The only downside of the new Pentax is it has no optical viewfinder meaning you will have to 'picture' the picture using the screen which takes power an optical viewfinder doesnt...........

[vipahman]

Without a doubt, you should go digital. Minimum 4 megapixel. Maximum is based on weight and your usage requirements. A good lightweight digital SLR is the Canon Digital EOS Rebel XT at under 2 lbs. I don't know about Nikon's equivalent. If you go the SLR route, take a wide - normal zoom lens. Alternatively, go with any of the point and shoot 1/2 lb or lighter cameras that have convenient full manual. They are a PITA to work with on the special shots but their light weight drives a good compromise.

I will be upgrading my PITA Canon Powershot S400 soon.

[hammock engineer]

I have the Canon SD400. I really like the camera. If you want to spend a little more, canon makes a completly waterproof case for $100 that allows you to take up to 30 ft or so. It is made for diving, so it should handle any rain. I found the batteries pretty cheap on ebay.

I am trying to decide what camera to take, also. One thing to think about is the battery. I have not had the week long battery life. I take too many pics with the screen on, then look at them as I go. These special batteries have to be charged in their special charger. It might be easier to get a camera that takes standard AA or AAA, then buy new as needed.

I am planning on having a second memory card at home, and switch them out at a mail drop.

[Peaks]

Well, here's my 2 cents.

First, your choice of cameras depends in part on what type of photos you want to take. Some people are happy with disposable cameras. Others carry SLR's with extra lenses.

With film becoming less available, it's certainly time to seriously consider digital. I started using a digital last summer. Doubt that I will ever go back to film.

Like all equipment, do your homework. Read reviews like www.dpreview.com. Figure out what you want. I suggest AAA or AA batteries rather than a proprietary battery so you don't need to carry a recharger.

[Tha Wookie]

If you want good pictures and you're used to a film SLR, get a Canon SLR digital. The files are so "deep" the high end ones are more flexible than even film

If you want to see some film, come check out my show tonight at REI atlanta!

[Shutterbug]

You mentioned that you are accustomed to a "Nikon that weighs 2 pounds." I assume that means an SLR. If you usually take pictures with a high quality SLR, you won't be completely satisfied with the pocket sized cameras.

For years, I have always carried an SLR when I hike. This year, I decided to compromise and bought a Nikon Coolpix. My pictures were ok, but certainly not up to the quality I get with my Nikon D70. Still, by most people's standards they are acceptable. Check them out at
http://www.naznet.com/mcclung/at/at.html

One "big" issue in your choice of cameras should be how rugged it is. On my two week hike in the 100 Mile Wilderness, I fell three times. Once I was climbing over some wet rocks to get a better picture of a moose. I fell hard with my camera in my hand. If I had been carrying an SLR, I am fairly certain it would have been seriously damaged. With the Coolpix, I was able to pop the lense back in place without serious damage.

As for the SD Chips, the primary problem is "putting all of your eggs in one basket." A 1 gig chip will hold a lot of pictures, but if you damage it you have lost all of your pictures. It doesn't happen often, but SD chips do fail. Don't put all of your pictures on the same chip.

[stupe]

I second Shutterbug's nomination for the Nikon CoolPix. I've got the 4100, 4.0 megapixel ( whoever she is ) and a 512 MB card. I don't even know how many pictures it holds. It's got a zoom lens, and you can zoom while looking through the viewfinder, and leave the screen off to save power. Uses two AA batteries.
It takes pretty good pictures, I think.

[bogey]

I use both, depending. one of the best suggestions I've seen here is NOT rely on the one egg, one basket. 128MB, 256MB, 512. all hold lotsa pix.

you can swap 'em out, send one home and pop in another.

One of the biggest distractions I've found in going digital is that unless you use one of high end. (or so I'm led to believe) that looks mostly like the familiar 35mm SLR, you have a lag. The point and shoot aren't really. they're more like point, autofocus cycle, shoot. can't tell you how many shots I have of the trail, or my feet, 'cause I pushed the button, lowered the camera and walked away, just at the shutter fired!

It's just a familiarity think, once you get used to it. the percentage of good shots goes up drastically.

And for those who say one doesn't need a 4mega-pixel, or 5, I point out that if you're taking snapshots, no you probably don't. but if you need to crop, or what I call the darkroom zoom, enlarge a small portion of the frame, you want the best quality you can get to enlarge that little piece.
am I blathering here, or what!?

[vipahman]

I use both, depending. one of the best suggestions I've seen here is NOT rely on the one egg, one basket. 128MB, 256MB, 512. all hold lotsa pix.

you can swap 'em out, send one home and pop in another.

One of the biggest distractions I've found in going digital is that unless you use one of high end. (or so I'm led to believe) that looks mostly like the familiar 35mm SLR, you have a lag. The point and shoot aren't really. they're more like point, autofocus cycle, shoot. can't tell you how many shots I have of the trail, or my feet, 'cause I pushed the button, lowered the camera and walked away, just at the shutter fired!

It's just a familiarity think, once you get used to it. the percentage of good shots goes up drastically.

And for those who say one doesn't need a 4mega-pixel, or 5, I point out that if you're taking snapshots, no you probably don't. but if you need to crop, or what I call the darkroom zoom, enlarge a small portion of the frame, you want the best quality you can get to enlarge that little piece.
am I blathering here, or what!?

No, you are not blabbering. All very good points. Point-and-shoots are slow but with a little practice they get the job done fairly decently. Auto-focus and auto-exposure can be locked on the expensive point-and-shoots. Bracketing and multiple shots are also available.

You bring a very good point on the "darkroom zoom" because while the average photographer should be content with 4 megapixel, the discerning photo editor will benefit from the additional clarity from a higher megapixel point-and-shoot.

[MisterSweetie]

This year, I decided to compromise and bought a Nikon Coolpix.
http://www.naznet.com/mcclung/at/at.html

Your pictures are great. I have a coolpix 5400 and 950 both. I like them both. Great cameras.

[CynJ]

I have been debating the same thing DavidNH - I have a Minolta QTSi with a couple different lenses - LOVE THIS CAMERA! lol.....but its not so light and hiking with film is a pita.

So I decided to start my search with Minolta digitals. And I sent and email off to them asking what the digital equivalent of my QTSi is - and they sent me back the info. And my current lenses fit the digital - added bonus.

Its a way to start if you are happy with the rig you have but just want to convert to digital.

[PROFILE]

We now carry the Minolta A2 slr. It is 8 megpix and we love it. I carry 2 1 gig cards. One of the things we like is it has the 7x zoom. If you carry a SLR make sure you carry the filters. The are light and really add to the quality and protect the lens.

[Lumberjack]

aa batteries are the way to go for power.

watch the zoom specs. digital zoom doesnt actually do much more then crop your picture. get optical for real zoom work

all cameras are a bit delicate. get a well padded case to protect it.

for a long hike get several smaller cards and swap them with home base regularly. also keep a log of what the pics are and have home base keep them organised while you still can remember what they are.

The big consideration in the end is your picture taking habits. are you shooting wildlife or scenery or just people. A hefty zoom really helps bring in the game shots. scenery tends to look better in the higher resolutions. for just people a quick point and shoot is best. The higher end camera tend to have more options but unless your a major camera buff you will not use them very much.

there are several buying guides that can help you choose a good camera also but dont let them bully you into something that almost fits. Pick the features you need and do the research, sooner or later you will find a perfect fit at a reasonable price.

A few extra features to consider are movie recording and non picture functions like MP3 playing.

good luck wading thru all the hype

BTW - Minolta Dimage Z5 here.... love the 10x optical zoom

[chris]

If you want good pictures and you're used to a film SLR, get a Canon SLR digital. The files are so "deep" the high end ones are more flexible than even film

If you want to see some film, come check out my show tonight at REI atlanta!

This really is correct, but also incorrect at the same time. A film (actually, slide film) SLR is going to give better results than any digital you can buy (short of dropping $5k for a Canon 5D and quality lenses). Assuming, of course, you know what you are doing with it and are going to take the time to be in the right place at the right time to get the killer shots. It is also assuming that you want to make big prints (i.e, 13 by 19 and up) to give to friends and hang on your walls.

That being said, on the AT I wouldn't bring an SLR. I would bring the cheapest digital I could find. Something like a 3-4 megapixel Olympus. Ignore digital zoom. Buy a 1 GB card and plan on spending some time in a few trail towns to burn CDs. You'll get a lot of good, impromtu shots that you can make into 4 by 6 prints, or post the pics to a website. Moreover, you won't have to learn anything new to take reasonable shots and can see via the LCD if you got something ok or just trash.

A second route (and one that I would be more likely to take) would be to bring something fancier, but still digital. For the last 8 months I've been using a Canon G6 and like it a lot. I can run it in full manual mode and shoot RAW files with it. If this means nothing to you, go with the options above. All the trips I've done since May (see my webpage) have been with this camera. Most of the Local Trips before were with an Olympus point and shoot digital.

[c.coyle]

3 megapixels is way more than adequate resolution. All the photos I've posted here are with a 3 megapixel camera. If you can get one at a good price, go for it.

Someone complained about the delay between hitting the button and the shutter actually firing. True, but you get used to it. Unless you're taking action shots (and you probably won't be while hiking), it doesn't matter.

I have a 512 mb card. I've had 100+ high resolution shots on it (300 to 450 kb each).

I am an old SLR and Kodachrome snob, but digital is the way to go. Lighter and less complicated. Most hiking photography is taking grab shots. An SLR, film or digital, and several lenses isn't worth the extra price and weight.

[weary]

I second Shutterbug's nomination for the Nikon CoolPix. I've got the 4100, 4.0 megapixel ( whoever she is ) and a 512 MB card. I don't even know how many pictures it holds. It's got a zoom lens, and you can zoom while looking through the viewfinder, and leave the screen off to save power. Uses two AA batteries.
It takes pretty good pictures, I think.

I'm pondering the latest CoolPix, the S4. I'm intrigued by the 10X digital Zoom, Double A batteries and 6 megapixels. I've used only film cameras until now and show slides quite often to fairly large groups, (50 to 100 people) so I guess I need more than internet level megapixels.

The S4 specs look good. The price is pretty good. Around $300. The reviews, however, are only so, so. Does anyone have any experience? Or encouraging reviews?

Weary

[Footslogger]

[quote=weary]I'm pondering the latest CoolPix, the S4. I'm intrigued by the 10X digital Zoom
==========================================
Weary ...I would caution you in terms of the whole digital zoom aspect. Now, if that camera had 10x of "optical" zoom it's be a different story.

'Slogger

[weary]

[QUOTE=Footslogger]

I'm pondering the latest CoolPix, the S4. I'm intrigued by the 10X digital Zoom
==========================================
Weary ...I would caution you in terms of the whole digital zoom aspect. Now, if that camera had 10x of "optical" zoom it's be a different story.

'Slogger

Sorry. That was my mind not working. The S4 has 10X optical zoom. I'm toying with switching to "digital" from film, mostly to save money. And "digital" seems to be stuck in my brain.